Forests for the climate - full schedule of forest events at COP21 now available

Fri, 20 Nov 2015

Join us at the IUCN Pavilion in Paris for the latest breakthroughs and nature-based solutions to climate change

Photo: IUCN/ Martijn Ter Heegde

With less than two weeks until UNFCCC COP21, IUCN’s Global Forest and Climate Change Programme (GFCCP) is helping you stay connected with multimedia news on issues that underpin efforts to strengthen forests’ fight to stabilize our fragile climate: gender and forests, rights-based approaches, forest landscape restoration, private sector engagement, and more. We are also looking forward to highlighting The Bonn Challenge at the event, taking further steps towards having 150 million hectares of forests and degraded lands under restoration by 2020 and 350 million hectares by 2030.

Our key activities begin on Forest Day (Tuesday 1 December), kicking off at 10:00 with a Forests Open House, followed by a high-level showcase, “Bonn Challenge Implementation: The Restoration Initiative,” by IUCN, FAO and UNEP in collaboration with the Global Environmental Facility. Afternoon events focus on “Large-Scale Restoration Ambition” to benefit communities and support national sustainable growth, and a presentation of “Mexico’s National REDD+ Strategy.”

Thursday, 3 December starts with two sessions on “Forest Landscape Restoration Leadership in Action” followed by a film festival focused on “Forests and Indigenous People”. The afternoon sees IUCN’s Global Gender Office and GFCCP host a session that will examine the critical interface between forests and gender in the context of forest landscape restoration, benefit sharing, and rights-based decision making. Winrock International hosts “Forest Degradation: New findings on global significance and responses,” and the day closes with a session on “Opportunities for Investments in Forest Restoration and Reforestation in Brazil.”

Friday, 4 December features a full-morning ministerial showcase highlighting progress on forest action in Mozambique, Ethiopia and Republic of Congo, with a look at public-private partnerships, access to markets, technology and on-the-ground activities to restore forest landscapes across the continent.

On Saturday, 5 December, join us at the Global Landscapes Forum (GLF), for the “Landscape Restoration Snapshot” discussion forum on experiences with and lessons learned from large-scale restoration; institutional, governance and biophysical challenges during project design and implementation; and financing mitigation and adaptation in agricultural landscapes.

Sunday, 6 December continues at GLF with a look at policy and practice successes in strengthening land and resource rights through REDD+, followed by our media Launchpad “You are the Restoration Leaders,” which will feature high-level ministerial announcements from countries, states and organizations and highlight progress on implementation of the Bonn Challenge. Sunday is also an all-day opportunity to visit the GLFexhibitors’ booths where GFCCP will represent forest and nature-based solutions with publications, rotating experts and public engagement.

Our closing events at COP21 on Wednesday, 9 December focus on our final “Forest Landscape Restoration in Action” ministerial session followed by a panel and discussion about “Land Use and Meeting the Two-Degree Goal.”

IUCN is one of the only international organizations with dedicated space in the Blue Zone, where leaders, decision-makers and badged official delegates have the opportunity to attend key events, exchange the latest tools, and learn about breakthroughs on nature-based solutions to climate change.